Means for coupling rotatable devices.



D. W. SOWERS & H. D. WALKER.

MEANS FOR COUPLING ROTATABLE DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.19, 1909. 1,1 2mm. Patented Feb. 9, 1915 2SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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D. W. SOWERS & H. I). WALKER. MEANS FOR COUPLING ROTATABLE DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1909.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHING roN, D. c.

60 6/ $7 m g. m 4% I l T l d WATT DAVID W. sownias, or BUFFALO, newYORK, AND HUei-I n. WALKER, or GBfIMSBY, ONTARIO, CANADA.

MEANS FOR COUPLING ROTATABLE DEVICES.

Application filed October 19, 1909.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID W. Sownes, of Buffalo, Erie county, New York,and HUGH D. lVALKER, of Grimsby, Lincoln county, Ontario, Canada, haveinvented certain new, original, and useful Improvements in Means forCoupling Rotatable Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, andaccurate description, likeletters and numerals in the drawings anddescription designating like parts.

This invention relates to power transmitting apparatus and isofparticular utility when used to secure a, split pulley upon its shaftfor co-rotation therewith, although we contemplate the use of ourinvention in any field for which it is adapted by the nature of ourimprovements.

An important object of our invention is to provide wedging meansconstructed and arranged to be brought into action by the torqueresulting from relative rotation of the rotatable members which are tobe coupled, with respect to each other, and to arrange the wedging meansso that the rotatable members will be connected for co-rotation as asubstantially unitary structure when wedged during rotation in eitherdirection, whether the power be applied to one rotatable member or tothe other, as for eX- ample whether a pulley is to be used to drive ashaft in one direction or the other, and also if the shaft is to beused'to drive the pulley in one direction or the other.

Another object of importance provided for by our invention is theconstruction of the connections so that at a predeterminedrelative-position of the rotatable members they can be readilyseparated, this arrangement being such that if a pulley is to beattached to a shaft, orremoved therefrom, the pulley can be withdrawnsubstantially in the plane of its rotation, in order to permit ourimproved pulleys to be placed in very close juxtaposition upon theshaft, which is frequently a very desirable arrangement, and isdifficultif not impossible to obtain with many types of pulleys inpresent use.

Still another important feature of our in vention is to provide thewedging means in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

Serial No. 523,457.

such a form that the part of the rotatable member selected for itsembodiment can be constructed in standard sizes, each capable ofapplication to a number of different sizes of rotatable members, as forexample to shafts of different diameters, and to pulleys of differentwidths and diameters; and also to pulleys having a single web or aplurality of webs.

Any suitable means may be employed to effect the wedging action, but weprefer to utilize oppositely-disposed eccentric hub' In the drawings,Figure 1 illustrates in side elevation a split pulley secured to a shaftand in the construction of which our improvements have been embodied;Fig. 2 shows in side elevation, similar to Fig. 1, one of the members ofthe pulley shown in Fig. 1, the other member being omitted; Fig. 3 is aview in inside elevation, looking from right to left,of Fig. 2; and Fig.4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, of the other half of the pulley, with thehub omitted; Fig. 5 is a view, in rear elevation, of one segment of thehub and bushing; Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of one of the webflanges taken separately; Fig. Tis a plan view of one of the connectingpins taken separately; Fig. 8 is a view in end elevation of the hubmembers, bushing members and shaft in position, for assembly; Fig. 9 isa view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of construction of pulleyand connecting parts; Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of the pulleyhalves taken separately in position for assembly;

and Fig. 11 is a view in inside elevation of one of. the segments. Figs.12 and 13 show in perspective and elevation respectively a web flangesegment and a hub segment from Fig. 10.

In the embodiment of our invention selected for illustration anddescription to en able ready and complete understanding of ourimprovements, the part designated by the reference numeral 1 is ahub-member, which in accordance with our invention is provided withwedging means which, in the instance illustrated, takes the form ofeccentric portions 2, and oppositely placed eccentric'portions 3, thenumeral 4 (see Fig. 8) designating a similar hub-member with eccentricportions 5 and 6, presented substantially at the opposite side of thehubs diameter from the eccentrics 2 and 3. These hubmembers preferablyhave semi-circular, axial, recesses 7 to permit the hub to receive asuitable shaft, such as that shown at 8, and preferably one or both ofthe hub-members will be provided with semi-circular bushings 9 recessedat 10 respectively to receive snugly the shaft 8, these bushings beingprovided preferably with suitable fastening means, such as the sharpenedpins 12 (see Fig. 5), to engage the periphery of the shaft and aid inretaining the hub in adjusted position against the ordinary torsionalstrain prior to the coupling action to be described later.

Suitable fastening means, such as the pins shown at 13, may extend fromthe hub portions 1 and 4 into recesses 14 in their respectivebushings,'to hold these parts together as a unitary structure so far asrotation relatively to the shaft is concerned, or displacement thereonco-axially, and preferably the hub members will be provided with lugs 15through which may be'passe'd suitable fastening means, such as the bolts16, (see Fig. 2) to retain the hub-members in assembled rela tion, withtheir bushings in place. The size of each bushing may, and preferablywill, correspond with the size of the shaft upon which the pulley is tobe placed, and a hub- .member of any given size may receive bushingsadapted to fit a considerable variety of sizes of shaft, the onlyvariation necessary being in the semi-circular axial recesses of thebushings.

The same pair of hub-members may receive any suitable form ofcotiperating rotatable member which is to be coupled with the hub forco'rotation with the shaft, as, for example any suitable form ofpulley,of any suitable width and diameter, the variations in size and formbeing susceptible of wide adaptation to the needs of various situations,and this permits a dealer to meet the needs of customers having aconsiderable c difierencein the size ofshafts and pulleys by keeping instock a relatively small number of sizes of hub-members provided withour improved wedging devices, which. we will now describe more indetail.

When, as we prefer, the wedge devices take the form of eccentrics withtheir greatest radii approximately 180 apart, this being the distancebetween the high point of the eccentric 2 in each instance relatively tothe high point of the eccentric 3 in each instance, we may, andpreferably will, provide the web of the pulley with coiiperating andcorrespondingly disposed eccentric portions 30 and 31 (see Figs. 3, 4iand 6), which in the instance illustrated, are formed by the walls ofapertures, semi-circular in shape, in what we will designate for thesake of brevity the web flanges 33 and 34:, not intending by thatexpression to limit ourselves to any technical significance, the termweb being used herein to designate that part of the pulley whichintervenes between the hub and the rim 40.

The drawings illustrate as one convenient form of pulley a woodenstructure comprising the web portion 35, upon, and connected with which,may be built up to any desired width the rim 40 which derives itssupport from the web.

The web flanges 33 and 34: may be secured to the web portion 35, whenselection shall have been made of the latter portion of suitablematerial, size and shape, by any suitable means, as for example byrivets 36, bolts 37 or screws 38 preferably passing from one flange33-to the other flange 34: through the intervening web portion 35, thesefastening means preferably being flush with the surface of the flanges,or presenting the minimum projection therebeyond, and similarly weprefer to confine within the limits of the flange surfaces such means asmay be provided to unite the pulley segments, when as will frequently bethe case, the pulley takes the form of a split pulley, for which ourinvention is of particular utility. In the instance illustrated thisconnection takes the form of lugs 50 with apertures 51, these lugspreferably being so arranged as to be embraced between the fianges onthe opposite segment of the pulley, in which flanges, correspondingapertures 52 may be provided in position to register with the apertures51 and thus permit the introduction of suitable fastening devices suchas the pins 53 which operate in the manner best illustrated in Figs. 1and 3. Preferably the inner margins of the web portions 35 will be cutaway as at 39 to clear the lugs projecting therein from the neighboringsegment.

The eccentric portions may be of any suitable contour and of anysuitable construction and arrangement relatively to each other, and asone convenient form of construction we have shown each half of the hub,viz. 1 and 1, as constituted by an integral metallic member, suitablyformed as by casting or forging, and machined, if necessarv, to presentsuitable eccentric surfaces, and these surfaces are shown as formed inpairs arranged relatively near the ends of the hub-member, that is, thesurfaces 2 con stitute a pair of like eccentric portions, one at one endof the hub and the other at the other end of the hub, while the surfaces3 are similarly disposed near the ends of the hub, but beyond thesurfaces 2, the two sets of surfaces being separated preferably byintervening walls 55, (see Fig. 3) which preferably enter grooves ordepressions 56 and 57 in the web flanges and serve to aid in locatingthe hub against its seat upon the pulley, and to maintain the hub inproper position to present its eccentric surfaces 2 and 3 in directopposition to the cooperating opposed eccentric surfaces formed upon theweb flanges at 30 and 31. The width of bearing thus secured for the hubgives very considerable lateral stability to the pulley, when as in theinstance illustrated the pulley has a single web located medially withrespect to the rim.

We have shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 a modified form of pulley having aplurality of webs 60 and 61 with a rim 62 around their periphery, andweb flanges 63, 64., 65 and 66 secured suitably as by rivets at 67 tothe webs and having respectively apertured lugs 68 to receive pins 69 toconnect the web segments in the manner already described with respect tothe pins 53. Each of the web flanges illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12is formed of a single plate hav ing semi-circular apertures 70, theplates being so placed upon the web segments that the apertures areeccentric to the pulley. Such a device may be used with the hubmembers 1and a, allowing suitable separation between the web-flange plates, toreceive the partitions 55, or, and preferably when web flanges are ofthis type, the hub '79 may be formed as illustrated in Fig. 13, whichshow the hub parts as having the eccentric portions 80 and 81 formeddirectly adjacent without any partition. This hub has a central axialaperture 84: with bushings 85 connected thereto by pins 86, the bushingshaving shaft receiving apertures 87 provided with set-pins 88. The hubparts have also apertured lugs 89 to permit their connection by bolts 90as already described.

In operation, with either of the forms illustrated, the hub-members arefirst provided with bushings having central apertures of a size suitablefor the shaft or similar member upon which the'pulley is tobe seated,and the hub parts are placed upon the shaft and there clamped snugly bythe connecting bolts. Then the pulley segments of proper size, havingtheir web flanges in place, are attached on both sides of the hub, with.their eccentric apertures opposite the eccentric portions upon the hub,and the lugs within their sockets, after which the pins are thrustthrough the lugs and the pin holes in the flanges and the pulley isready for action. As soon as power is applied to the rim of the pulleyor to the shaft, in either direction, the resulting torque causes theeccentric portions upon the rotating member to be engaged almostimmediately with the opposed eccentric portions upon the member to bedriven and the wedging action of the two members against each othertends to force apart the web-segments,but this separating action isresisted by the pins, and consequently the pulley rotates with the shaftif the latter is the driving member or vice versa, the shaft rotateswith the pulley if the pulley is the driving memher. At any time, too,in order to remove the pulley from the shaft it 'is only necessary toturn the pulley slightly upon the shaft which will release the eccentricparts from engagement one with the other and thereupon the pins may beremoved and the pulley segments withdrawn in the plane of theirrotation, leaving the hub upon the shaft, so that a larger pulley can bereadily placed upon it, or if desired, the hub can be readjusted orremoved and replaced upon any shaft and its place may be taken by adifferent hub. The hubs and their pulleys may be placed closely adjacentto other hubs and pulleys upon the same shaft.

Having described our invention thus fully and suitable means forcarrying the same into effect, it will be understood. that we do notlimit ourselves to the specific materials or form of constructionselected for illustration and description herein nor in general than asset forth in our claims read in connection with this specification.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a powertransmitting device of the class described; a wedging member havingoppositely-facing eccentric ridges; a cooperating wedging memberhavingcorresponding oppositely facing eccentric ridges to be engagedwith said first-mentioned eccentric ridges, said ridges constitutingpositioning means.

2. In means for coupling rotatable devices, a wedging member havingeccentric ridges whose high points are diametrically opposite, acooperating wedging member having correspondingly arranged eccentricridges in cooperative relation to the firstnamed eccentrics, and a rldgeon one of k these. members engaging a recess in the other Copies of thispatent may be obtained for and State of New York, this 16th day of 15October 1909.

DAVID bOWER-S. WVitnesses:

BERTHA KERR, GEORGE M. BLACKMON. Signed at Grimsby in the county ofLincoln and Province of Ontario, this 16 day of October 1909.

HUGH D. WALKER. Vitnesses FLossIE W. SMYE, W. W. KIDD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G.

